Centrifugal machine



Feb. 19, 1924.

W. C. COLEMAN CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE Filed June 9, 1923 W N6 T0 w B A TTORNE Y Patented Feb. 19, 1924.

UNITED STATES WILLIAM G. COLEMAN, F WIGHITA, KANSAS.

CENTRIFUGAL MACHINE.

Application filed June 9,

Y '0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM C. COLE- MAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Wichita, in the county of Sedgwick and 6 State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Centrifugal Machines; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others .10 skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings and to the figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to centrifugal separators or amalgamators and the primary object of the invention is to providea separator or amalgamator in which metal bearing ores maybe introduced in a pulp or sludge form and flowed over the surface of a body of mercury so that the mercury can abstract or separate out the metal and allow the earth to "pass out through the separator.

This particular invention contemplates the provision of means for subjecting the sludge or pulp to a prolonged action of the mercury so as to provide a time elementor period of treatment long enough to'take out practically all of the metal before the sludge is discharged. f

The invention is shown as comprising two rotors, one within the other. One is the mercury-carrying rotor and the other is a distributor for distributing the sludge or pulp over the surface of the mercury. The sludge or pulp passes through the distributor in a tortuous path having recurring contact with the mercury so that it can be acted upon a number of times while it is in the machine.

The novel construction of my invention will be apparent by reference to the following description in connectionwith the accompanying drawings, in which v Fig. 1 is a vertical, longitudinal, sectional view through a separator constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig.2 is a similar view of a slightly modified form, and

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary, cross sectional view through a slightly modified form of outer rotor.

The construction shown in Fig. 1 com- 1923. Serial No. 644,346.

2. The outer rotor includes a casing having a top or removable cover 3, which may be fastened to the end of the hollow shaft 4, thehollow shaft being rotated by any suitable means. The bottom 5 of the outer rotor 1 is provided with a central opening 6surrounded by an upstanding elongated tube 7 on which are radial impeller blades or vanes 8. A hollow distributor is located within the casing 1 and it constitutes the inner rotor. It is shown as comprising a disk 9 connected to a shaft 10 by a spider 11, on the end of which is a collar 12 which may be fastened to the shaft 10. The shaft 10 is within'the shaft 4 and it is adapted to be rotated by suitable means.

There is a circumferential, depending wall 13 on the disk 9 and it carries a plurality of horizontal partitions or flanges 14 and 15 in spaced relation. The flanges or ribs 14 are solid in cross section whereas the partitions 15 have ports or openings 16; The ported partitions 15 extend beyond the partitions 14 and their edges are designed to approximately contact with the ringshaped body of mercury 17 in the metal absorbing tank 18 adjacent tothe inner face of the circular wall of the rotor 1. Since the partitions 15'extend beyond the partitlons 14, it will be apparent that the combined partitions and the wall of mercury form a tortuous passagewayfor the pulp or sludge which is introduced into the machin throughthetubularshaft 10.

When the metal bearing sludge or pulp passes from the hollow shaft 10, it will flow through the openings 19 between the arms of the spider 11, over the disk 9 and through the tortuous passageway formed by the partitions 14 and 15 and the mercury so that it willbe subjected to a plurality of mercury actions; that is, the sludge or pulp will first come into contact with the mercury at the upper part of the rotor 1, then it will pass through one of the openings 16, then between the partitions 14 and 15 into contact with the mercury, back againbetween the partitions 14 and the partitions 15 to aniopenin'g 16, and weave back and forth throughout the entire length of the circular Wall of the inner rotor 2 until it reaches the bottom of the outer rotor 1 where its speed will be acceleratedby the impeller blades 8 to cause any particles of mercury which may have become mixed with the ore pulp rotate at a speed greater th'an'theinner' rotor because it is necessary to drive the outer rotor at considerable speed in order to mamtain the wall of mercury in the position shown in'Figrl. It the speed of the oute rotor is too slow, themercury will have a tendency to flour 'or gravitate to the bottom offlth'e otter rotor and p'ass be with the sludge through the opening 6. v

The inner" rotor is provided with a' plurality of radial vertical partitionsQl, which are connected to the partitions 1a and 15 but "which are in'spa'ced relation with the wall of'the inner rotor so that transverse p'orts22 are provided for the passage of the material through the innerrotor or dis tributor. H h From the foregoing it will be'appar'ent the material will be subjected to a' plurality of contacts with the mercury so that the 'iil'ercury 'will have enough to take out them etal. Thern etal will bereco've'red from the "mercury later in any appropriate manner. v V

' In'Fig. QI'have shown aslightly modified form in which the outer" rotor "23 "cbhferms generically to the rotor in ,Fig. 1' except that it has spaced circular baffles Q L'and 25 for the mercury, the baflies b eing providedwith ports 2-6 an'd27. -The bafiles 2t and 25 extend through the mercury column and have close clearance with the radial partitions 28 on the rotor 29. The material, therefore, will pass'through the tortuous channel, as shown in F ig. 2.

In order to insure the mercury passing along at the same speed'as the outer rotor, I may have recourse to the modification shown in Fig. 3' in which the outer rotor 2%)" is. provided with verticalribs 30, which will be embedded in the body of'in'ercury so that it will'have a tendency to carry the mercury along at the 'same speed as the wall of the outer rotor so I that the essential scrubbing effect 'may be maintained by a rapidly moving sheet of mercury in contact with a slower moving body of ore pulp which is retarded by the inside member of the machine.

'It will "be apparent, therefore, that the sludge orpu'lp'will be subjected to a'plurality of successive treatments by the mercury column because 'the' sludge will pass in a tortuous path through the separator, coming into contact with the mercury from time'to time "until itfinally reaches the bot )2. A separator comprising a rotor, adis'-' tr ibutor' within the rear, rin'g' shaped partitions carried by the distributor each"alter nate partition havingopeniiigsjthereinf and vertical. partitions in spaced "relationfwith the wall of the distributor and connected to the first-named partitions. Y a

3. A separator comprising' a" ro'torfand a distributor within the rotor, "the distributor comprising a disk having adep'ending' wall,

ring-shaped partitions on the "wall, radial partitions'carri'ed by *the distributor. 'A'sep'aratorcomprising an ou-t'er'frotbr, aninner rotor "chnstitutinga distributon the inner rotor comprising a disk having a de pending wall, and nag-sha ed para-e ri a the wall, alternate partitions beingfwidr than thosefbetwjeen' them, th epartnionsbe ing directed in planes at agile-angles are mercury chamber within the outer arb ter.

5. A centrifugal separator comprising'two concentric members, one bfwhich"i "p: vided with 'means for supporting" of mercury, therebeing a spacethe two members providing a separating chamber, one of said members having circiimferential partitions extending "across the separating chamber. p I

6. A centrifugal separatorcomprising two con e'ntric members, one of 'whi'clfis proy'ided" with'means for s'upportingfa 'cdlufiin of mercur there being a" space between the two members "rovidi m ase jara-tin "chaiiiber, one of said members having' clr'c'iiinferential partitions "'eiitending fad-toss. the separating chamber, the other of hich has partitions alternating with theffirst paffitions and also extending" a'oross the "separatis a rv 'In' testimony whereof Iaihx m sigaatare.

WILLIAM of ooLEM-aN. 

